South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to Russia on Thursday for a summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that will focus on ways to boost the countries' economic cooperation, as well as on joint efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.The South Korean leader is making a three-day state visit that will also include a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae. Moon is the first South Korean president to make a state visit to Ru

The third summit between China and North Korea in less than three months on Tuesday highlighted Beijing's increasing efforts to remain a key player in the fluid geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula and strengthen its hand amid friction with the United States, analysts said.During the talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Chinese President Xi Jinping said their bilateral ties would remain steady regardless of situational changes, in an apparent sign of Beijing's will to keep its influence ov

South Korea and Russia share the common goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, which will lead to the joint development of not only the countries but the entire region, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday.Moon's remarks came in an interview with Russian news outlets ahead of his three-day state visit to Russia that will begin Thursday."President (Vladimir) Putin and I share the vision of peace and joint prosperity in the Eurasian continent," Moon said, according to a full scr

South Korea's presidential office on Wednesday welcomed the outcome of a meeting between leaders of North Korea and China, expressing hope that China will continue to play a positive role in "safe" and "complete" denuclearization of the North."The latest North Korea-China summit is believed to have moved the denuclearization process a step further," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a daily press briefing."In addition, we expect China to play a positive role in safely completing the den

WASHINGTON -- A group of US lawmakers on Tuesday voiced support for the South Korea-US alliance in the wake of recent efforts to denuclearize North Korea through dialogue, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Members of the Congressional Study Group of Korea, including its co-chair, Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), met with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam to discuss recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.Lim is the first high-ranking Seoul official to visit Washington since US President

President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a summit in Moscow on Thursday, Seoul’s presidential office announced Monday. President Moon Jae-in speaks during Monday`s meeting with senior aides in Seoul. YonhapAccording to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon will visit Russia for a four-day state visit from Thursday, and meet with Putin shortly after his arrival. This is the first time a South Korean leader is making a state visit to Russia since late President Kim Dae-jung in 1999. Moon

South Korea aims to declare an end to the Korean War this year, but will be flexible when it comes to the specific timing and format, Seoul’s top diplomat said Monday. 　  Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks at a news conference in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)“Declaration of the end to the Korean War is a result we should draw through consultation with the US and North Korea. But the government plans to handle the issue of timing and format flexibly,” Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a pre

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday called on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to jointly overcome their mutual distrust, as he confirmed ongoing efforts to arrange a Japan-North Korea summit.In a television interview, Abe said his government has contacted the North Korean side "through various channels" in a bid to arrange a meeting with Kim.During historic talks with US President Donald Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, Kim reportedly said he was open to a meeting with Abe.Japan wants t

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed optimism on Saturday about US President Donald Trump's recent announcement that he would speak with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the phone, calling it "very important progress."(Yonhap)On Friday, Trump said he gave Kim a direct phone number to reach him and that he plans to personally call Kim on Sunday (US time)."Most important of all, this means the US and North Korean leaders are in a relationship where they can talk on the phone

US President Donald Trump released a weekly address Friday promoting his efforts to bring peace to the world through his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier in the week.(Yonhap)In a 3-minute video posted on YouTube, Trump walked through the results of his historic meeting with Kim that took place in Singapore Tuesday."Our world has seen more than enough conflict. If there's a chance at peace, if there's a chance to end the horrible threat of nuclear conflict, then we must pursue

US President Donald Trump said Friday he gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a direct phone number to reach him and that he plans to make a phone call to Kim. "I can now call him ... I gave him a very direct number," he told reporters at the White House. "He can now call me if he has any difficulty. I can call him. We have communication."US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)His remarks come days after his first and historic encounter in Singapore with the leader of the reclusive state on Tuesday.T

TOKYO -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave a positive response to a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japan is mulling a visit to Pyongyang in August by Abe, Japanese media reported Thursday.Citing multiple Japanese government officials, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that Kim said he could meet with Abe while holding summit talks with US President Donald Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, adding Kim's intention has been conveyed to the Japanese government through multiple

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US hopes to see “major disarmament” of North Korea before the end of US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2021. 　(Yonhap)Speaking the day after a historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pompeo also said that “complete” denuclearization encompasses “verifiable” and “irreversible” amid criticism over the result of the summit. 　“Major disarmament... We‘re hopeful that we can achieve that in the two and half ye

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan had talks in Seoul on Thursday on North Korea, emboldened by the first-ever Pyongyang-Washington summit talks. Starting a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed hope that "the current momentum will be maintained."Their closed-door talks were followed by a trilateral session involving Japan's Minister Taro Kono.Earlier in the day, Pompeo paid a courtesy call on P

President Donald Trump declared on Twitter Wednesday that there was “no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea,” a bold and questionable claim following his summit with leader Kim Jong Un that produced few guarantees on how and when Pyongyang would disarm. “Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office,” he tweeted. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. No